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In anticipation of his upcoming studio album, Born Ready, singer-songwriter Steve Moakler is hitting the road on a tour of the same name which kicks off March 22nd and travels on through May 19th hitting the highways from Virginia to Wisconsin and places in between. On Saturday, March 24th, Moakler will bring the Born Ready Tour to the Gramercy Theatre in NYC and in advance of the show, he graciously took some time to chat about the single, the electricity of the city, and more. On March 24th, you’ll be returning to the Gramercy Theatre [Moakler headlined Sirius XM’s Highway Finds Tour there last year] for the Born Ready Tour. As you travel all over the country, what makes a NYC stop special for you? There are a lot of things I like about the city. First of all, I love hunting down a good slice of pizza. I was born in New Jersey and raised in western PA, so I like to think I have good taste in pizza and always have to have a slice every time I am here. Another thing I love about NYC is the electricity. Even if I’m only there for a short time I always feel like I get a jolt. It’s an inspiring place. I also have a ton of family who live nearby, and they come out to the shows in droves to see me play. They have such a strong presence at the shows, I think the other people in the crowd feel their energy making it like this big family reunion of sorts, which is pretty cool. The city and the people in it have this unique energy. Is there anything that sets a NYC crowd apart from other towns or cities for you? Oh yeah absolutely. That electricity you feel isn’t limited to the city, it’s in the people, too. Sometimes places can be a little sleepy, but I feel like NYC crowds always come with a great energy, ready to rock; from song one, we’re off to the races. 
No doubt they’re excited to hear “Born Ready” this coming Saturday! The song, which celebrates the hard-working professional trucker, was born out of a partnership with Mack Trucks. Did they approach you about writing a song or did you already have the song written?
They approached me about writing a song after they learned about a song on Steel Town, “Siddle’s Saloon,” which references my grandfather. He and his brother were mechanics who had a fleet of flatbed trucks that were exclusively Mack, a brand they were passionate about. Mack had a new truck coming out and thought because of that and our Pennsylvania connection [Mack is based in Allentown, PA] maybe I was the guy to write a song for them. We connected, hit it off, and I got to work writing the song, but as I did, I felt the song was quickly becoming my story, too. I had been on the road for a long time, was sleeping and showering at truck stops, and living a life similar to theirs; I connected with this song, so I felt that it might not only connect with truckers, but with other people as they travel whatever road they’re on as well. Absolutely, we all have a journey. Truckers really are the bloodline of the country. Have you gotten any feedback from them about the song? I have. I started following some on Instagram, dove into the community a bit, and have gotten some really amazing messages from people who tell me it’s awesome that there’s a song for them that they listen to all the time as they’re driving around the country. I co-wrote the song with Barry Dean and Luke Laird and Luke pointed out that there are just as many truckers today as there have always been, but no one is writing songs about them anymore, so I feel like we filled a void with this one. What’s unusual is that what began as a commercial opportunity, ended up really inspiring me. It turned out to be something very special. What was it specifically about “Born Ready” that made it so special to you that you decided to title the album and tour after it? I spent time diving into lyrics and stewing on titles and “Born Ready” just felt like the best title for this project. I wasn’t sure what the narrative was for this collection of music and when we wrote “Born Ready,” it struck a nerve. I realized the highway is where I’d been since Steel Town and that’s where these songs came from. The heart of the record is about life on the road, finding your identity, and closing the distance between where you are and where you want to be. It’s definitely a sentiment most can relate to. After over a decade in Nashville are you where you want to be? I’ve been fortunate enough that my career has been slow, but it has also been very steady and every year I feel like I have more to be thankful for. I try to enjoy what rather than wish it away because what I have is a pretty sweet thing. That’s a beautiful perspective. Finally, when you’re traveling the highway from gig to gig, what are you listening to? I’ve been home for the past few months, so I’ve been listening to Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Willie Nelson. When I'm on the road, my go-to’s are Bruce Springsteen, Eric Church, and David Grey, but I also love checking out new music my peers, like Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves, and Devon Dawson, are coming out with. There’s so much good music out there, you just need time to take it all in, but that’s a great problem to have. Born Ready will be released later this year on CN Records (Creative Nation Records). Website/Facebook/Twitter/Purchase When: March 24th Where: Gramercy Theatre, NYC Doors: 7pm Showtime: 8pm Tickets: $16
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